1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method for processing an image based on format information read by an optical reader.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hitherto, a construction such as that described below has been used to process an image obtained from an optical reader.
An example of means for easily obtaining a new image output from an original image is an electrophotographic machine (hereinafter referred to as copying machine). Usually, a copying machine is provided with scaling functions such as to, for example, perform enlargement or reduction of the original. In recent years, copying machines called color copying machines have been made available for providing a color output from the color document. In addition, in recent high-performance copying machines, intermediate processing is carried out based on digitized data to carry out scaling, for example, to enlarge or reduce the size of the image data, using software, while in color copying machines, the original image is subjected to color conversion, masking processing, trimming processing, etc. Such processings are carried out with a pen and, for example, a tablet built in the color copying machines. Further, there are many digitized copying machines capable of directly receiving image data from an information processor and outputting this received data as printed material.
More and more information processors, whose use has been increasing rapidly in recent years, represented by, for example, a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as PC) and a Japanese word-processor (hereinafter abbreviated as WP), have connected thereto an optical image reader (hereinafter referred to as scanner). In such information processors having a scanner connected thereto, an image is read by the scanner and the read data is received by a PC or WP body, after which the received image data is subjected to various image conversions by an image processing system constructed by software, followed by display of the converted image data on a display device or output of the image data as printed material from a printer. In image processing by software means at such body, users frequently perform various settings. Such settings include image scaling, color conversion, and trimming. In addition, the user can further perform desired character/figure/illustration settings and operations on image data read by the scanner on the PC or WP, so as to allow output of the image data subjected to these settings and operations.
However, the aforementioned conventional example has the following problems.
In digital color copying machines and color printers connected to a PC or the like, software is needed for image processing at the PC side, and the user cannot perform the desired image processing if he does not know how to use the software. In addition, PC, image processing software, color printer or digital color copying machine are very costly when purchased as a set, and the user cannot use it readily.
In processing the image received by PC or WP connected to a scanner, if the user does not thoroughly know how to use the scanner, PC/WP, and image processing software, he cannot obtain the desired result, so that he must repeat the trial-and-error method and take a long time to prepare the desired image. In addition, although recent image processing software has high performance so that it is capable of performing various functions, this, on the contrary, makes the software hard to use, so that the user tends to give up before obtaining a desired and satisfactory result.
Hitherto, there have been available image processing apparatuses in which an image input is achieved by inputting an image as it is in that form. For example, using a monochromatic or color scanner, a monochromatic or color image is directly input into an image processing apparatus to achieve image input.
For example, in inputting a color image such as a multicolored illustration by a scanner to produce a color print, it is necessary for the scanner or input means to perform such processings as reading an image on the original created using, for example, the three primary, red (R), green (G), and blue (B), and to send the input data to an output device, etc. In addition, converting the read image data into, for example, a mesh pattern, is extremely troublesome.
When a monochromatic image having a mesh pattern is input using a monochromatic scanner, a moire pattern is occasionally produced, thereby making proper input difficult. In addition, an expensive color scanner is required to input a color image.
In the aforementioned prior art, however, the input means or scanner must be one, such as a color scanner, which is capable of dividing the color into each of R, G, and B components to read the image data, so that device costs and size become relatively high and large respectively. In addition, in the prior art when the original to be read contains a regular mesh pattern, the pattern interferes with the resolution of the CCD or scanner sensor, thereby resulting in the production of moire patterns and deterioration of the image quality. Further, in the aforementioned prior art, when the read image data is converted into, for example, a mesh pattern data, the apparatus is required to perform very complex tasks.